Thermos ideas for kids lunch box - please help!

[PinkestMoon]

After tales of chicken that tastes like ham and other stories we are moving to lunchboxes. I want to send hot things in a thermos but I am stumped for ideas beyond pesto pasta and soup. Please help! Any and all lunchbox ideas welcome

Risotto or similar, noodles.

I send soup, spaghettini hoops, chicken and veg, macaroni cheese, all sorts in ours.

I'm nervous about meat and rice, especially about rice! Is it not dangerous for the temp to drop with rice?

Macaroni cheese is a great one!

Noodles or soup with noodles.
Gyoza in soup.
Baked beans & sausage.
Cauliflower cheese.
Macaroni & cheese with diced bacon

Vegetarian beans and sausage

I take porridge to work in mine but it never stays hot enough to eat without having to top it up with hot water ..what am l doing wrong?!

We use a flask for school 2-3 days a week. The last few flasks have contained;

• curry and rice with a folded chapati.
• tortellini with sauce
• hotdogs x2 to put in bun
• noodles
• half a can of beef broth

Generally anything that can be cooked/reheated in under 5 mins whilst the flask is pre warming. I’m lucky that DC isn’t fussy so I can make extra of evening meals and portion up to freeze.

@Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin

I take porridge to work in mine but it never stays hot enough to eat without having to top it up with hot water ..what am l doing wrong?!

Do you pre-warm the flask with boiling water for a few minutes?

@PinkestMoon

I'm nervous about meat and rice, especially about rice! Is it not dangerous for the temp to drop with rice?

The temp shouldn’t drop if you add piping hot and pre-warm the flask. DC says sometimes she has to leave the top off a while for it to cool down!

DD (7yo) loves her thermos in the winter.

We usually just do a tin of something like spaghetti hoops, Mac n cheese, soup or ravioli.
With some fruit, veg and a yoghurt on the side .

Her favourite though is when we cook up fish fingers, sausages or nuggets then pack up a wrap or bread and butter and some salad so she can make herself a hot sandwich. Extra bonus points if we can find the teeny tiny sauce pots and give her a little pot of tomato sauce.

Just remember to heat the thermos first by giving it 5-10 mins full of boiling water before you add the food. Everything stays lovely and hot till lunch time.

I wouldn't use rice, food poisoning too risky.

Double check if they are allowed warm things - I asked DS1 and he says everyone has sandwiches or cold pasta.

@Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin

I take porridge to work in mine but it never stays hot enough to eat without having to top it up with hot water ..what am l doing wrong?!

You need to prewarm it and fill it to the top. You may need a smaller flask.

Her favourite though is when we cook up fish fingers, sausages or nuggets then pack up a wrap or bread and butter and some salad so she can make herself a hot sandwich.

DD is happy with her sandwiches but i fancy doing this for myself 😁

Some great suggestions, thanks!

Thanks to pp who replied - l do pre warm it but sounds like not for long enough so will try that x

We do all sorts of pasta in sauce, chilli, stews with couscous, curry and rice (flask stays hot enough if pre-warmed)

Any type of pasta or pasta bake works well. Risotto/paella also good. Stews, curry, thick soups are good. Dinner leftovers basically. Fajita mix with rice instead of a wrap. Top with raw spinach and it'll be wilted by lunchtime. Equally a raw egg will cook- so shakshuka works very well.

Jacket potatos can work well with beans/ chilli/ bolognaise and little pot of grated cheese.

Also a "full english" as a treat, homemade spicy beans, sausage, bacon, crunchy potatoes on top.

Look at pret/Leon/eat etc. They do little hotpots, its good inspo.

Sausage and bean casserole is my favourite. In our ‘thermos’ brand one I can pre heat pot, add hot casserole, then it’s still hot 5 hrs later despite being outside in -temperatures in rucksack

Jacket potato with beans, or separate pot with cheese, tuna, coleslaw etc. We cook the potatoes the night before, then nuke in the microwave in the morning. Skin doesn’t get eaten here so I remove the skin for easier eating. I suppose I could just do mash really!

I love those Naked pots (posh pot noodles)
I have lots in my drawer at work, bulk buy on offer!

My little boy takes soup, pasta, cous-cous, beans, jacket potato with cheese, quesadillas, and occasionally has taken something like left over corned beef hash. His friend sometimes takes risotto but I have never given rice based things as was nervous.

My DDs take leftovers from the night before. Pasta with veg, tomato and bean sauce, bean chilli, curry, dahl with rice. Risotto, cous cous with veg and beans. Butternut squash and spinach stew.